Chapter 100

Chapter 100

After sending Jiang Xingchen back to the hotel, Nan Shuyi and Jiang Yicen returned to the car.

Uncle Chen asked the two of them, "Are we going home?"

Jiang Yicen was about to respond, but Nan Shuyi said, "Not going home yet."

Uncle Yuan: "Then where are we going?"

Nan Shuyi: "There's a convenience store nearby. Pull over there, then drop us off at the Jiang residence."

Jiang Yicen didn't know why Nan Shuyi wanted to go to the Jiang residence at this hour, but he knew that ever since Nan Shuyi learned about his former fiancée, his face had turned sour and he wouldn't speak to him. When he was mildly upset before, he would only be sarcastic, but true anger meant he wouldn't even bother talking to him.

But he hadn't given him a chance to explain himself. Jiang Xingchen wasn't completely drunk—he'd just had a bit too much, making him chatty and a little emotional.

Why head to the Jiang residence this late?

Uncle Yuan parked the car at the roadside as Nan Shuyi instructed, and Nan Shuyi got out.

Jiang Yicen wanted to follow him. As soon as he stepped one foot out of the car, Nan Shuyi turned back and said, "You don't need to get out. I'll go alone."

Nan Shuyi's tone was a bit firm.

Jiang Yicen didn't follow him after all, not sure if he was really that mad. Actually, he wanted to get out and explain.

He returned to the car and waited for Nan Shuyi to come back, planning to explain once they got to the Jiang residence. It was all in the past, and he'd never had any real connection with that ex-fiancée, so there was no reason to feel guilty.

He looked out from the car and saw that Nan Shuyi didn't enter the convenience store but instead went into a small shop whose name he couldn't read.

A little while later, Nan Shuyi came back holding a black bag; he couldn't tell what was inside.

Uncle Yuan dropped them off at the Jiang house, and Nan Shuyi told him to go straight home.

Jiang Yicen had no clue what he was up to.

He watched Uncle Yuan drive away, then turned to Nan Shuyi and asked, "We're not heading back tonight?"

The original gate of the Jiang residence had been replaced with a new one, still giving off a faint smell, and the lock had been replaced with a smart lock with a camera.

Nan Shuyi punched in a passcode, and the lock clicked open, and he pulled Jiang Yicen inside, still not saying a word.

As soon as they stepped inside, the door clicked shut automatically behind them.

Jiang Yicen: "Brother Shuyi, why won't you talk to me?"

Nan Shuyi: "What do you want me to say?"

Jiang Yicen: "Hear me out."

Nan Shuyi went quiet again, still walking ahead, but he kept holding Jiang Yicen's hand as he led him into the house.

The Jiang house had been fully renovated and cleaned spotless. Even at night, you could tell the place looked brand new, completely different from before it was purchased.

Nan Shuyi had been coming by every day lately to keep an eye on the renovation, personally picking out all the furniture. He cared about the place even more than Jiang Yicen did.

Jiang Yicen, on the other hand, hadn't had time to stop by in the last couple of days. The new product had been finalized and production had begun. He was in meetings all day, keeping tabs on the factory's progress, and rolling out distribution everywhere—there was a lot to prep in advance.

Nan Shuyi walked fast, and Jiang Yicen didn't even get a chance to take in the new Jiang house.

He called out again, "Nan Shuyi!"

Without a word, Nan Shuyi dragged him upstairs, heading straight for the room Jiang Yicen used to sleep in.

Once inside, Nan Shuyi flicked on the light, shut the door, and pushed Jiang Yicen onto the new bed.

The bed was just like the big one in Nan Shuyi's bedroom at No. 1 Estate—huge and comfy. But lately, he'd been squeezing into Jiang Yicen's bed, which was a tight fit for two, and hadn't slept on such a large bed in a long time.

"Okay, you can explain now. What's this whole fiancée thing? Sixth Master, have you been lying to me this whole time?"

Jiang Yicen sat on the bed, let out a sigh, then smiled at Nan Shuyi. "She's an ex-fiancée, from before I was fourteen. I didn't want to tell you and stress you out over nothing. Who knew Jiang Xingchen would hear half a story from the older folks and start running his mouth."

Nan Shuyi wouldn't let it go: "Back in your day, young masters were taught about sex at fourteen and had bed maids by then, right?"

Jiang Yicen raised his right hand: "I swear, I never had a bed maid. From when I was a kid to now, I've only met my fiancée once, and that was when she came to call off the engagement. I really have zero connection with her."

Nan Shuyi looked at him and snorted lightly. He knew Jiang Yicen wasn't lying, but hearing it from someone else today had left a bitter taste in his heart.

Nan Shuyi: "You could have told me."

Jiang Yicen: "I thought it was just a trivial matter. There's really nothing between me and her."

Nan Shuyi suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance to just a few centimeters from Jiang Yicen.

As he moved closer, Jiang Yicen felt his presence and the weight of his mood, instinctively shifting back. Nan Shuyi raised a knee and knelt beside Jiang Yicen, forcing him to lean further back.

He looked up and asked, "What are you doing?"

In front of Nan Shuyi, he was more relaxed than with anyone else, not bothering to alter his speech habits.

Nan Shuyi lowered his head, pressing his lips to Jiang Yicen's, and said, "Doing what husbands should do. I'd hoped you could have more time to adjust, but I've realized that whenever I hear anything about you and someone else, I go mad with jealousy and pain. I hate that I wasn't born in that era to fight alongside you, to have lived with you, or even to have seen who you were back then."

His eyes grew redder as he spoke.

"Jiang Yicen, let me ask you."

Jiang Yicen felt he was truly furious and didn't dare provoke him. Meeting his gaze, he said, "Ask."

Nan Shuyi's jealousy deepened: "Did you discuss calling off the engagement with your ex-fiancée in your room?"

Jiang Yicen quickly explained, "Of course not."

Nan Shuyi: "Did you ever imagine a future with her? Think about marrying her and having kids? Think about doing something with her—holding hands, hugging, kissing..."

His teeth clenched as he spoke, conjuring up all sorts of scenarios in his mind.

Jiang Yicen chuckled softly, grabbed his collar, and told him solemnly, "Nan Shuyi, I never thought about any of that. The moment I learned of her existence, she was already proposing to call off the engagement. Back then, my mind was only on my studies. I never got close to any woman."

Nan Shuyi bit his lip: "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying." Jiang Yicen knew why Nan Shuyi had dragged him to the Jiang residence after learning about the fiancée—he truly cared deeply about this.

He was tired of propping himself up on his hands, so he lay back flat, letting Nan Shuyi kiss him. The kiss was forceful and deep, nearly leaving him breathless.

But even so, he wanted to reassure Nan Shuyi: "Brother Shuyi, from then until now, I've only ever kissed you, only held hands with you, only shared the most intimate moments with you. As a child, I knew nothing of matters between men and women. I studied under my grandfather at his home, and when I grew older and returned, I entered a modern school, learning new knowledge. My mind was filled with math, physics, chemistry—subjects that might be introduced early in your era, but for us, they were like reading a foreign script. I even had to learn multiple languages. My schedule was packed; there was no room for anything else."

Nan Shuyi stared at his lips, which were now glistening and red from being bitten, then lowered his head to kiss his eyelids: "I'll take the Sixth Master's word for now, but while the death sentence is commuted, the punishment remains."

Jiang Yicen was already pinned beneath him on the bed. Now, he'd loosened up a bit—being intimate with Nan Shuyi no longer made him as shy, and sometimes, when he saw Nan Shuyi struggling, he'd take the initiative to help, just like Nan Shuyi did for him.

He plucked up the courage to ask, "And what exactly would that involve?"

"Like this..." Nan Shuyi's fingertips had already made their way to his waist, the belt at his waist already undone, "and like this."

Jiang Yicen still couldn't help but tremble slightly all over. Nan Shuyi was kissing his earlobe, and he called out softly, "Brother Shuyi..."

Nan Shuyi had no intention of letting him off, giving him another hard bite: "Hm?"

Jiang Yicen bit his lip, restraining himself from letting out a low moan: "Are we not going back tonight?"

Nan Shuyi told him firmly, "What do you think? I'm going to leave my scent here, here, and here—don't you dare think about that woman anymore!"

Jiang Yicen said pitifully, "I don't, don't misunderstand me."

Nan Shuyi: "Acting cute won't excuse you from not telling me." He even made a point of whispering in his ear, "Where did she meet you, where did she call off the engagement? You're so wonderful—why would she break it off?"

Jiang Yicen thought Nan Shuyi's logic was a bit like what modern people call being lovesick.

Even though he was kissed senseless, he was still clear-headed enough to know that no matter how good he was, there were things about him that people might not like.

Jiang Yicen said to him, "I'm not that great. I'm boring and rigid..."

Nan Shuyi lowered his head, moving down bit by bit, and bit him on the neck: "Who said that? In my eyes, you're the best. Sixth Master is witty and humorous, serious at work, never behind the times. Who else could learn to use a phone and computer in such a short time and come up with so many flawless, impeccable plans?"

Jiang Yicen was so flattered he almost lost his head, but at the same time, his clothes fell to the floor one by one, tossed all over the place by Nan Shuyi.

Suddenly, Nan Shuyi, who had been practically glued to him, got up. The bag he had forgotten earlier finally made its appearance.

When Nan Shuyi came back, he had a few extra things in his hands—things they'd never used before.

Jiang Yicen drew his legs up, instinctively trying to scramble to the other side of the bed, but Nan Shuyi quickly grabbed his ankle.

Nan Shuyi asked in a low, husky voice, "Sixth Master, where do you think you're going?"

Jiang Yicen swallowed hard. "I'm a little nervous." He knew what was coming next.

But Nan Shuyi was not small down there—how could he possibly take it? For a moment, he was scared.

Nan Shuyi gave him no chance to back out. He had planned this all along, and he hadn't missed a single necessary supply.

He said in a soothing whisper, "Don't be nervous, Sixth Master. I'm officially introducing you to the adult world now. I'm not like others who'd talk about something as childish as calling off an engagement."

Jiang Yicen: "..."

Clearly, he was still hung up on the fact that Jiang Yicen had once been engaged.

The moon rose above the willow tips, and the hazy moonlight added a romantic touch to a certain bedroom in the Jiang residence. Low, faint, fragmented sounds slipped through the cracks in the window.

There was no wind that night. After a long, lingering session, the two in the room were drenched in sweat. The room, which had been lit for so long, wasn't darkened until the early hours of the morning.

·

When Jiang Yicen woke up again, it was nearly noon.

There wasn't a single patch of skin on his body left unmarked, and a certain part of him was slightly swollen and sore.

Last night, Nan Shuyi had clung to him until the early hours before they finally left that huge bed to go to the bathroom. Perhaps because of the whole former fiancée thing, Jiang Yicen felt a bit guilty and let him have his way a little longer. Who would have thought that someone who had just gotten a taste would completely lose control and go at it round after round?

Naturally, it was torment at first, but later on, he did enjoy the pleasures of intimacy.

He stared up at the familiar ceiling and smiled.

Half a year ago, this was his room. Half a year later, it was his and Nan Shuyi's room.

Click.

That was the sound of the bathroom door sliding open.

Nan Shuyi walked out, drying his hair with a towel, and bent down to kiss Jiang Yicen on the forehead.

"Awake?"

"Mm."

"Does anything feel uncomfortable?"

"I'm fine."

Nan Shuyi was always considerate—he had even prepared ointment. Still, since it was Jiang Yicen's first time, some physical discomfort was unavoidable.

His cool fingertips gently brushed Jiang Yicen's chin: "Sixth Master, has your bed ever been slept in by anyone but me?"

Jiang Yicen thought to himself, here he goes again, and shot him a glance. "Yes, Sixth Young Madam."

He had heard this kind of question all night long. He had never imagined someone could be this jealous!

Jiang Yicen used Nan Shuyi's hand to pull himself up from the bed.

Nan Shuyi asked him, "There's nothing here. Do you want to go back for lunch, or should we find a restaurant?"

He hadn't said anything before, but now Jiang Yicen suddenly realized he was starving. He never skipped breakfast—even if he didn't want to eat, Nan Shuyi would find an excuse to make him take a bite or two.

"Let's go back first. You cook," Jiang Yicen said, thinking of the bruises all over his body. He really didn't want to go out and be seen by anyone.

"Fine, whatever the young master says goes," Nan Shuyi agreed, since he had indeed been a bit excessive last night. "Let's pick an auspicious day to move in properly."

Jiang Yicen: "Naturally."

Nan Shuyi thought back to how impulsive he had been last night and felt a bit uncertain.

He began to regret it: "Do you think us staying here for one night might mess with the feng shui or something?"

Jiang Yicen chuckled lightly: "Of course not. That only matters when you start cooking. When other people renovate, the workers even stay in the house. You're a modern person, and you're superstitious about this?"

Nan Shuyi brought over the clothes he had prepared here in advance: "Isn't it said that a house can influence people?"

Actually, he knew why the Jiang residence had never sold.

Many people were wary of the fact that the original owners of the Jiang residence had all died, none of them passing away peacefully in their beds. Quite a few wealthy buyers were quite superstitious about such things.

Now, though, it was perfect—they were the masters of the Jiang residence now, and they would live to die of old age. They would grow old together. Was there anything more bizarre than a soul from the Republic of China traveling to the modern era?

Jiang Yicen sat on the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around Nan Shuyi's waist: "Do you mind?"

Nan Shuyi: "Not at all. It's my honor. How fortunate am I to become the Sixth Young Madam of the Jiang family?"

To have met Jiang Yicen among millions of people was his luck, and to be able to move back into the Jiang residence with him was his privilege.

From now on, they were one.

Jiang Yicen smiled at his teasing.

After being rejected, he had actually thought that if he ever had a spouse, they would inevitably live in the Jiang residence together. But at the time, his mind had been blank of any image.

Now, though, there was one.

The Sixth Young Madam's abs were quite firm.